1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic film vapor deposition method for depositing a moisture-resistant protective film onto a scintillator panel for medical X-ray photography or the like and the scintillator panel made by this method.
2. Related Background Art
While X-ray sensitive films have been used in medical and industrial X-ray photography, radiation imaging systems using radiation detecting devices have been coming into wider use from the viewpoint of convenience and their storability of photographed results. In such a radiation imaging system, pixel data caused by two-dimensional radiation are acquired by a radiation detecting device as an electric signal, which is then processed by a processing unit, so as to be displayed onto a monitor.
Conventionally known typical radiation detecting devices include those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 5-196742 and No. SHO 63-215987. Such a radiation detecting device forms a scintillator on an imaging device or FOP, such that the radiation incident thereon from the scintillator side is converted by the scintillator into light, so as to be detected.
Here, CsI, which is a typical scintillator material, is high in moisture absorbency and deliquesces by absorbing vapor (moisture) in the air, thereby deteriorating characteristics of the scintillator such as the resolution in particular. Therefore, a moisture-resistant barrier impermeable to water is formed on the upper side of the scintillator layer in the above-mentioned radiation detecting device, so as to protect the scintillator against the moisture.
While a polyparaxylylene film or the like is in use as the moisture-resistant barrier for protecting the scintillator against the moisture, this polyparaxylylene film is deposited by CVD method (vapor phase growth method). When depositing a polyparaxylylene film by CVD method, a planar vapor deposition table or meshed vapor deposition table in a state where a substrate formed with a scintillator is mounted thereon is put into a vapor deposition chamber of a vapor deposition apparatus, whereby the polyparaxylylene film is deposited.